Why do we want to heave when someone else throws up? Is it herd behavior?
In: Chemistry
I have read somewhere recently that it’s like a survival instinct of some sort. When one person in the group would throw up, others would throw up because the person might have eaten something bad/poisonous.
In addition to what the others here are saying – this is also why you “lose your appetite” or get queasy at the sight of things that might indicate that your meal could be contaminated. It would be an evolutionary advantage to instinctively recognize and *stop eating* food that might be bad for you, which you likely did because “oh god hes throwing up, shitting uncontrollably, and his face has turned green!”.
Really its a clever way to disguise a very real threat without using fear or panic – instead being *physically* uncomfortable and an instinctual, near instant reaction.
Like the “brown note” but real, for puking, requiring a sight and sound instead of a note, and it has a very real benefit 😀
Yes, herd behavior
The herd eats together so if one member eats something poisonous, other members probably also have.
Puking is often the best way to get rid of toxic stomach contents.
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